The Exclusive Bodyguard of the Top Idol - Chapter 44

Ji Qingshi had no idea how the task of coaching actors had landed on her lap. But when she saw the name of the drama, her face darkened instantly.

“Master, can I refuse?”

The captain of the SWAT team took a calm sip of tea and shook his head. “No.”

“Wait, why does it have to be me? Our sniper team isn’t exactly idle either.”

Not idle, perhaps, but when there were no special missions, their daily routine consisted of training; endless, varied drills.

Her master shot her a glance. “Just incorporate those actors and celebrities into your training sessions. They’re all lacking in that department.”

Ji Qingshi: “…But our training intensity might break them.”

“Can’t you tone it down?! Listen, this assignment comes straight from the provincial department. The drama is co-produced by them. It’s practically government-endorsed. It’s meant to promote our SWAT team’s image among the public. Don’t you dare mess this up!”

Her master knew her too well. Seeing her reluctance, he could tell she was hiding something. “I don’t know why you’re resisting. Is there someone you know among those actors? Some past grudge? I don’t care. But this mission is important. You absolutely cannot embarrass me!”

“…” Ji Qingshi’s face twisted in frustration, still hoping to bargain her way out.

But her master left no room for negotiation. “This is final! You’re the most presentable member of our team. If not you, then who?!”

That much was true. Ji Qingshi was the living embodiment of the SWAT team’s ideal; striking looks, exceptional skills, and an impressive track record.

With things put so bluntly, Ji Qingshi knew there was no escape.

This was beyond ridiculous. The actor list was crystal clear. Ren Jiao’s name was right there, impossible to ignore.

For a moment, Ji Qingshi wondered if Ren Jiao had orchestrated this, but she quickly dismissed the thought. No matter how popular Ren Jiao was, no matter how many fans she had, she was still a newcomer in the industry barely even that in the film and television world. There was no way she could influence the training or production of a project like this.

Overthinking was pointless. No matter how unwilling she was, she had to accept reality and prepare to face Ren Jiao soon.

Truth be told, Ren Jiao had been bombarding her with messages daily; morning, noon, and night, without fail. Ji Qingshi had never replied, yet Ren Jiao never stopped. At this point, Ren Jiao’s intentions were obvious, but Ji Qingshi found herself unsure how to respond.

She was still holding onto her anger. Back then, Ren Jiao had rejected her so decisively, each time leaving Ji Qingshi disappointed. Just when she had resolved to move on, Ren Jiao had to pull this stunt.

Anyone would be furious not just angry, but deeply hurt. If she forgave Ren Jiao so easily, Ji Qingshi would feel like she had no self-respect left.

So she never replied once, wanting to see just how far Ren Jiao would persist. Of course, perhaps she’d give up after just a couple of days in which case Ji Qingshi could tell herself to stop dwelling on it. But that little girl was unusually tenacious, which actually aligned with Ji Qingshi’s expectations. The Ren Jiao she knew was exactly like this: she might run away, but once she set her mind to something, she’d charge ahead without looking back, even if it meant hitting a wall.

Now that they were about to meet, Ji Qingshi’s heart settled into calmness once the arrangements were finalized.

Well, she’d just take it one step at a time. She had never been able to harden her heart in the first place. The fact that she’d managed to ignore Ren Jiao for a whole week was already beyond her own expectations.

…

When Ren Jiao learned from Cen Shu that she’d be going to Ji Qingshi’s team for training, she became even more fired up. She even mentioned it in her messages to Ji Qingshi, saying she’d get to see her sister soon.

Ji Qingshi gritted her teeth as she read the message, suppressing the urge to reply and ignoring Ren Jiao’s puppy-like excitement.

As the day to join the training drew closer, Ren Jiao’s happiness became increasingly obvious. Even the new songs she wrote were infused with a sweet, bubbly energy, earning her some teasing from Tan Jiajia.

“This melody is way too sugary. She hasn’t even responded to you yet; what are you so happy about?”

Truthfully, Ren Jiao wasn’t entirely confident either. It had been over a week, and Ji Qingshi still hadn’t acknowledged her. Though her mother had been comforting and encouraging her, it was impossible not to feel disheartened.

She was also afraid. Afraid that when they finally met, she’d discover Ji Qingshi no longer had any feelings for her, afraid that she had already lost any chance.

But these worries were pointless now. Everything would only become clear when they met.

On June 22nd, Ren Jiao followed the production team’s arrangements and arrived at a training base in the mountainous outskirts of Bincheng, where Ji Qingshi’s SWAT team conducted their annual summer drills.

Once they entered the mountainous area, phone signals became spotty, only stabilizing again when they reached the SWAT training base.

Ren Jiao stepped out of the car with the rest of the crew and immediately spotted a row of SWAT officers standing in the distance, dressed in camouflage training shirts, hands behind their backs, their postures ramrod straight.

In an instant, her gaze locked onto one of them, unable to look away. From this distance, she couldn’t even make out the person’s face, yet she knew at a glance. It was the one she had been longing for day and night.

Suppressing the urge to run straight to her, Ren Jiao obediently carried her suitcase and walked over slowly with the crew. The SWAT team’s leader stepped forward to greet them, shaking hands with the assistant director leading the production team.

After exchanging pleasantries, both sides introduced their respective members.

The lead actors of the drama were household names. Anyone who watched TV or movies would recognize them, so little introduction was needed.

The SWAT team, however, was different. Five officers had been assigned as training instructors, each responsible for a specific group. After brief self-introductions, the assistant director assigned each actor to their respective coach.

Ren Jiao and Jiang Yi, the award-winning actor playing the male lead, were both placed under Ji Qingshi’s guidance. Their characters in the drama were elite members of a counter-terrorism SWAT team, renowned for their exceptional physical prowess and marksmanship making Ji Qingshi the perfect instructor for them.

Once the introductions were over, everyone was led away by their assigned coach.

Ji Qingshi stood in place, sizing up her two trainees with an unreadable expression.

Jiang Yi’s heart was pounding. This female SWAT officer in front of him seemed to have a bad temper, would she beat him during training?

Feeling uneasy, he sought comfort from the person he was most “familiar” with, Ren Jiao. After all, between the two of them and this stern-faced officer, they were at least slightly more “acquainted” since they were from the same production crew.

“Uh… our coach doesn’t seem very approachable. Let’s look out for each other later. ”

To be fair, Jiang Yi a highly skilled actor with good looks had a reputation for being one of the most humble and easygoing in the industry. Unlike other men with wealth and status who tended to get carried away, he remained down-to-earth and even a bit timid.

Ren Jiao wasn’t particularly close to him; their relationship was merely that of senior and junior colleagues on set, someone she could learn from during filming.

Hearing him say Ji Qingshi was hard to get along with, she immediately disagreed: “Actually, I think the coach seems pretty nice.”

Jiang Yi looked stunned. “…Huh? How can you tell? She’s been scowling the whole time!”

Ren Jiao thought otherwise. She could detect the subtle awkwardness hidden in Ji Qingshi’s expression. It wasn’t exactly anger. Though there was some of that but Ren Jiao knew it wasn’t her truly angry face, which would be much colder.

She tossed Jiang Yi a quick reply: “Senior, let’s hurry over.” Then she briskly walked toward Ji Qingshi, dragging her suitcase with a hint of eagerness in her expression.

Ji Qingshi only glanced at her briefly before shifting her gaze to Jiang Yi, not lingering on her for long.

“Hello, I’ll be your training coach for the next two weeks. My surname is Ji.”

“Hello, Sister Ji!” Ren Jiao chirped, acting like they were already close, her smile bright and sweet.

Hearing the address, Ji Qingshi stiffened for a moment, but she quickly masked her reaction, side-eyeing the bold newcomer.

Jiang Yi’s jaw dropped in shock, his brain short-circuiting. How could this girl be so brazen as to call someone “sister” upon first meeting especially a woman with such an intimidatingly cold demeanor?!

Flustered, he stumbled over his words. “Ji… Ji…” He couldn’t figure out what to call her.

Ji Qingshi shot him a look and said flatly, “Just call me Officer Ji.”

“Ah, right, right! Hello, Officer Ji.”

Ji Qingshi ignored him after that, clearly uninterested, and simply led them to their dormitories in a businesslike manner.

She only had two trainees, but since they were of opposite genders, their dorms were quite far apart; a hassle.

She took Jiang Yi to the male dorm first, informing him that someone would assign him a room. “It’s late today, so no training. Gather at the cafeteria for dinner later. There’ll be a bugle call as a reminder.”

“Oh, got it! Is it like college military training?” Jiang Yi grinned, looking a bit silly.

Ji Qingshi nodded. “More or less. Just listen for the announcement.”

Without another word, she turned and left. Ren Jiao trailed closely behind, pulling her suitcase along.

This time, joining the crew meant playing the role of a SWAT officer. To ensure the special training achieved the desired effect and made them resemble well-trained SWAT officers in every aspect on screen, not only were their agents not allowed to accompany them, but even their assistants were left behind. Every requirement was aligned with those of real SWAT officers. If any unexpected situations arose, the crew’s on-site life assistants would step in to help.

The training ground was vast. Extremely so and the distance between the men’s and women’s dormitories was anything but short.

Ji Qingshi strode ahead with long steps, while Ren Jiao struggled to keep up, dragging her suitcase behind her. Their physical capabilities were simply too mismatched. She truly couldn’t match his pace. Back when Ji Qingshi used to stay by her side, he had always accommodated her in countless ways. Now that he no longer paid her any attention, she couldn’t even keep up with him anymore.

Several times, Ren Jiao opened her mouth to call out to Ji Qingshi, but in the end, she gritted her teeth and held back. She needed to push herself harder. This was just a minor hardship. She could endure it, as long as it meant she could catch up to Sister Ji’s footsteps.

She had no idea how long they had been walking. By now, Ren Jiao had completely lost her sense of direction within the training base when Ji Qingshi suddenly came to a halt.

Ren Jiao, dragging her suitcase with her head down as she followed behind, hadn’t expected him to stop abruptly. She barely managed to brake in time, nearly crashing into him.

Ji Qingshi looked down at her, taking in her flushed face, her rapid breaths, and the way she still stubbornly kept up despite her exhaustion. A mix of complicated emotions churned within him.